Sheryl Crow hasn’t held back her thoughts on Jason Aldean’s controversial new song – which was sparked intense debate over the past few days.
The 61-year-old Missouri native joined the debate surrounding the song ‘Try That in a Small Town‘ – expressing her disappointment and concern, saying that she believed Aldean, 46, was perpetuating false impressions through the song’s inflammatory lyrics.
Some of the lyrics in particular read: “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s**t might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”
In her tweet directed at the country singer, Crow, who hails from a small town herself, emphasized that even residents of small towns are tired of violence.
“@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting,” she tweeted.
“This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
.@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence.There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting.
This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame https://t.co/cuOtUO9xjr
— Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) July 19, 2023
She criticized the song’s promotion of violence, highlighting that it is neither reflective of American values nor characteristic of small-town life. Crow also pointed out that Aldean should be particularly sensitive to this issue, having survived a mass shooting himself during the 2017 Las Vegas concert tragedy, which claimed the lives of 60 people and injured over 400 others.
The music video for ‘Try That in a Small Town‘, which features Aldean performing in front of a courthouse known for past lynchings, faced swift backlash and was removed from CMT programming.
The song’s lyrics were accused of condoning violent acts, and the visual elements caused further controversy as they incorporated footage from various protests, including those related to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Aldean defended himself against the accusations in a lengthy statement posted on Twitter, refuting any association with pro-lynching sentiments or negative views toward nationwide BLM protests.
“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous,” his statement began.
“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it – and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage – and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one goes too far,” it continued.
The ‘Dirt Road Anthem’ singer then added: “‘Try That In A Small Town‘, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”
In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.…
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
What do you think of the situation? Let us know in the comments!
